For Immediate Release Common Cause Oregon Releases Political History of Russ Walker and FreedomWorks and Updates of Reports on Allies Mannix and Parks Report

Common Cause Oregon Releases Political History of Russ Walker and FreedomWorks and Updates of Reports on Allies Mannix and Parks

Common Cause Oregon has released a report on FreedomWorks, a national group opposed to health care reform and its Oregon director, Russ Walker. Updates to previous political histories of Walker allies, Kevin Mannix and Loren Parks, are also released. Loren Parks is now Oregon's $13 million dollar man in terms of political contributions with more support coming from his foundations.

Russ Walker is an increasingly important player in Oregon's conservative politics, most recently working with partners Ross Day and Kevin Mannix to qualify Measures 66 and 67 to January special election. FreedomWorks' claims of grassroots activism, however, have been characterized by the press as being "a fig leaf for corporate lobbying." Loren Parks, either directly or through Parks Medical Electronics, has given $1,1,859,334 to Russ Walker's political efforts.

"It is hard to tell the Russ Walker and FreedomWorks stories without a full discussion of his key allies, Kevin Mannix and Loren Parks," said Janice Thompson, executive director of Common Cause Oregon and former head of Democracy Reform Oregon that released reports on Parks and Mannix that are now replaced by these new updates.

"The importance of ballot measure politics in Oregon underscores the value of compiling these histories of key initiative players," said Janice Thompson, of Common Cause Oregon. The reports included a detailed compilation of campaign fundraising and election victories and losses as well as the role of family foundations controlled by Loren Parks in supporting other foundations that have contracted with Kevin Mannix's law firms for legal and fundraising services.

A Political History of Russ Walker and FreedomWorks (October 2009)

Download: Summary | Full Report

A Political History of Kevin Mannix: A Mix of Politics and Business and One Major Donor (October 2009) (Replaces September 2008 edition)

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